Yonkers Millennium Lions Club - Lions e-Clubhouse

2019- 2020

August 5: We completed the first of our two dental/ care kit (toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, face towels), distribution at Manuel L. Quezon Elementary School in Baguio, Philippines. In total, 300 children received kits with 200 more later in the year.

August 4: We made a donation to Family Ties of Westchester, Inc. during our monthly membership meeting. Their executive director and development officer were guests at our meeting.

August 3: We attended the Lions District 20-R2 Foundation 2nd Annual Picnic at Tibbetts Brook Park in Yonkers. With 7 members and Lion President Karem Coca's husband and children we were one of the best

represented clubs at the event.

August 1: Day 1 of our School Based Feeding Program at Quezon Elementary School in Baguio City, Philippines. The feeding program will run until September 6 and will feed 30 children lunch daily.

Jully 31: Picked up 102 pairs of eyeglasses from Raymond Opticians at Tuckahoe Rd., Yonkers for recycling.

July 27: We made our 165th Kiva microloan to Pech's Group in Cambodia. Pech will use the money to buy a water filter for her home.

July 25: Picked up donations of eyeglasses from Raymond Opticians and Chinatown Optical.

July 6: 600 children were fed and several families received bags of food in Pedernales, Dominican Republic. Lion Father Felino Reyes sponsored the project.

July 11: Made a Kiva microloan to Fatmata G (first from the left) of the Fatmata's Ebola Recovery Group. Sierra Leone is currently experiencing a difficult time economically, with rising fuel and imported rice costs causing food shortages in some areas. Fatmata's Ebola Recovery Group would like to take advantage of this and increase their production further as rice prices are on the rise. Increasing production will greatly enhance members' livelihoods and also increase food access in Sierra Leone at a time when this is badly needed.

July 5, 2019: Donated to Feeding Weschester

2018 - 2019 - It's Going to be another Banner Year!

As of June 28, 2019: :140 service activities

1493 Lions hours

June 2019

June 30: Lion Jocelyn Archimedes is now trained to use the Spot Vision Screener. She and Lion Salome James of the NY Cosmopolitan Lions Club screened 22 children at Pro Youth Recreation and Family Center in Staten Island.

June 28: Picked up donations of eyeglasses from Raymond Opticians at Tuckahoe Road, Yonkers.

June 22 and 23: Held a garage sale to raise funds for our upcoming vision missions.

June 16: Attended the NY Bangladeshi American Lions Club's 6th anniversary and installation of new members.

Lions Jocelyn Archimedes, Jimmy S. Chu and Portia Fagel

June 2: District Governor Testimonial

Front, Lions Karem Coca, Jocelyn Archimedes. Back, Lions Jimmy Chu, Bless Punzalan, PDG Juana Alejo, Lion Portia Fagel and Jason Fagel-Lau.

June 1: Spring Clean-up at VISIONS Vacation Camp for the Blind.

Lions Portia Fagel, Joanne Toglia-O'Hanlon. Jocelyn Archimedes, Jimmy Chu and volunteer Jason Fagel-Lau

February 2019

February 11: Volunteered at Feeding Westchester. We repacked food drive donated items.

February 2: Picked up 32 pairs of eyeglasses for recycling from Raymond Opticians at Tuckahoe Road, Yonkers.

January 2019

January 30: We did "retail reclaim" at Feeding Westchester today. It was meat, meat, and more meat.

January 29: We screened the vision of 10 children and referred 3 at La Peninsula Head Start, site2.

January 28: We made our 132nd Kiva microloan to Loisi of Peg, Tonga. She is a 70-year old widow who runs a retail store. The store is the only source of income for her family of 5 children and 36 grandchildren.

January 23, 24, 25: We screened 82 more children at three different La Peninsula Head Start sites and referred 19.

January 22: We screened the vision of 76 and referred 25 children at La Peninsula Head Start, Bronx, NY.

January 13: Lions Emma Dumalag and Joanne Toglia-O'Hanlon donated to Campaign 100. They join Lions Teresita Angos, Melanio Aquino, Silvia Estebanez, Sara Fernandez, Kishore Gangangari, Blesida Punzalan and Aurora Santoro who have already either pledged, donated or both.

Lions Joanne and Emma are at center.

January 9: Picked up 12 eyeglasses from Chinatown Optical for recycling.

January 7: Bagged 100 "Senior Produce" bags. Each one contained 4 sweet potatoes, 4 apples, 1 cauliflower, and 5 clementines.

January 6: Proyecto Los Reyes 2019 - About 60 children received gifts, bagged lunches and chocolats during our Annual Three Kings Toys Distribution.

December 2018

December 29: We made our 132nd Kiva microloan to As Formiguinhas Group in Diadema, Brazil.

In this group are Fatima, Ivane, Marlene, Ivone, Hilda, and Rosangela.

December 17: We paid for transportation from Baguio to Atok and gave all the children P20 at the Mauro P. Laruan Elementary School when the staff of Quezon Elementary School went to Mauro P. Laruan to distribute Christmas gifts to the children.

December 17: We repacked beauty aids and cleaning materials at Feeding Westchester today.

December 16: Picked up 15 eyeglasses for recycling from Raymond Opticians at Tuckahoe.

December 15: We sang Christmas carols to residents of St. Joseph's Hospital Nursing Home in Yonkers.

December 12: Makeena Brandt's poster won the MD-20 Peace Poster Contest. Congratulations!

December 11: 400 children received presents from Santa and had their class pictures taken with him. We were one of six Lions Clubs in District 20-R2 to co-sponsor the event, The 5th Christmas Benefit for Children.

December 9: We held our Christmas get-together and fund raised for our mission to Pedernales and Boca Chica, Dominican Republic in February 2019.

December 8: We fed 160 children and distributed groceries to 160 families in Bulacan, Philippines.

December 3: We attended the 2nd District Meeting at F&J Pine Restaurant. YMLC, once again, received the Club Excellence Award - a patch for our banner and a pin for Immediate Past President Teresita "Etchie" Angos.

We did it again!

Lion Portia Fagel, Club Service Coordinator, received Immediate Past President Naresh Aggarwal's International Leadership Award for Clubs with the Most Service Activities Reported in MyLion.

December 1: We attended Huguenot Lions Club's 50th Charter Anniversary.

November 2018

We vision screened 92 children in November which brings our total of children screened in Westchester and the Bronx to 1457.

Our school-based feeding program

Part of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is the enhancement of the health and education status of children. To help in achieving these MDGs, The Department of Education (DepEd) in the Philippines has been conducting School-Based Feeding Programs (SBFP) since 2010. DepEd, through its regional offices, identifies students nationwide who are malnourished. SBFP beneficiaries are selected based on this database.

Lasting for 120 days, the feeding program targets the restoration of at least 70% of beneficiaries to their normal nutritional status and the improvement of class attendance by 85-100%.

We, Yonkers Millennium, have participated in this program since last year feeding children at Manuel L. Quezon Elementary School in Baguio City. Below are pictures of the children that were sent to us by Mr.Gayao, principal of the school.

Our feeding program this year started in July and will run through November, 2018.

Lion Ophelia Pajel with the school principal, Mr. Gayao ad some of the children.

November 29: Volunteered at Feeding Westchester's "Thursday Afternoon Repack" sorting and repacking baked goods.

November 28: We conducted a vision screening at Queens Daughters Day Care Center in Yonkers. 44 children were screened, 16 were referred.

November 27: #GivingTuesday Fundraiser

Thank you for your donation:

Lion Jocelyn Archimedes

Lion Jimmy S. Chu

Lion Celette Colago

Lando and Lion Emma Dumalag

Almira Mae Dumalag

Lion Bernadette Ebbay

Valerie Ebbay

Xinia Ebbay

Lion Portia Fagel

Lion Ramil Jacinto

Lions Jun and Annie Mallari

Owen Nuguid

Pauline Nuguid

Rogel Nuguid

Don and Chato O'Buckley

Pinky Polintan

Lions Bless and Rene Punzalan

PDGs Fred and Lorri Rieger

Cely and Efren Samarita

Lions Driphon and Shirley Agapito Simms

Ben and Ging Velasco

PDG Loretta Wu

November 26: It was "Repack Monday" at Feeding Westchester today and we checked several crates of donated food items for viability and usability.

November 19: At Feeding Westchester, we checked crates of donated food items for expiration dates, dents, and overall acceptability then repacked them to be shipped to agencies and food pantries in Westchester County.

November 18: Volunteered at Manor Community Church on West 26th Street with set up and serving dinner.

November 15: Picked up 57 eyeglasses for recycling from Raymond Opticians, Tuckahoe Road, Yonkers

November 14: Went to Mid-Bronx CCRP Day Care Center and the Islamic Cultural Center School a second time to screen those children who did not get vision screened the first time we were at the sites. At Mid-Bronx, we screened 17 and referred 5, screened 7 and referred 2 at the Islamic Cultural Center School.

November 9-11: District Convention

November 11: Attended Fall Conference at Maestro's. Environmental Committee Chair Lion Karem Coca and Childhood Cancer Chair Lion Kishore Gangangari gave stellar presentations. Job well done, Lions.

Our entry to the Peace Poster Contest won first prize. Congratulations, Makeena Brandt. Good luck in the succeeding level - the State Contest.

Peace Poster Contest Chair PDG Loretta Wu and Contest Co-Chair Jimmy S. Chu

Lions Jimmy S. Chu and Kishore Gangangari received friendship banners from PID Ed Lecius.

Lion Portia Fagel received the International President Gudrun Yngvadottir's Certificate of Appreciation.

Congratulations, Lions!

November 10: Attended the welcome dinner at Meson Madrid for guest of honor and keynote speaker PID Ed Lecius and partner in service Lion Elaine.

Lions Jocelyn Archimedes, Emma Dumalag, Portia Fagel and Jimmy S. Chu

November 6: We screened 24 and referred 3 children at Mid Bronx CCRP Day Care Center Site 4.

October 2018

We screened the vision of 642 children in October.

October 30: We vision screened 35 and referred 11 children at St. Dominic's TORCH and screened 4 and referred 2 at Tolentine Zeiser Day Care Center.

Lion Roque Lopez screened and Lion Portia Fagel took care of the paper work.

October 28: We screened 37 and referred 22 children at the Pro Youth Recreation and Family Center, Inc. in Staten Island.

Lion Bless Punzalan

October 23: We went back to Yonkers Children's Place to screen the 20 children who were absent the first time we visited the day care center.

October 22: We did retail reclaim at Feeding Westchester. Along with volunteers from MasterCard we sorted through bins of donated food to check for expiration dates, dents and acceptability in general.

October 21: We held a very successful fundraiser at St. Mary's Church Parish Hall, Yonkers for our medical mission to the Dominican Republic in February 2019.

October 19: We raised $550 for Jayden and the Kuala Lumpur City Lions Cancer Fund.

October 17 & 18: We vision screened 58 children at the Islamic Cultural Center School and 77 children at the Mid-Bronx Corp Early Childhood Center. We referred 28 children in the two centers.

October 15: We screened the vision of 19 children at the Mid-Bronx CCRP Head Start. 11 were referred.

October 14: Lion Silvia Estebanez received the Earle W. Hodges Distinguished Leadership Award, Mrs. Linda Katz and Lion Portia Fagel the Helen Keller Distinguished Service Award at the Lions District 20-R2 Foundation 3rd Anniversary Gala.

Lion Bless Punzalan received the award for Linda Katz.

October 11: DG Gustavo Sanchez trained on the Welch Allyn Spot Vision Screener at Kingsbridge Heights Community Center, Sites 1 and 2. He screened 24 children, referred 6.

October 10: It took him over an hour's travel on Metro North from North Salem but Lion Bill Papp came to ABC Cassidy's Place to screen 99 children with Lions Silvia Estebanez and Rocky Lopez.

October 9: 26 children at Westcop Westhelp Mount Vernon Day Care Center and Mount Vernon Head Start had their vision checked. 6 of them had to be referred.

October 7: We held our last garage sale for the year. The funds raised were for the Pedernales, Dominican Republic mission in February 2019.

October 6: With winter coming fast, we cleaned our adopted cabin at VISIONS Center on Blindness and got ready for hibernation.

October 2: 91 children had their vision screened at New Rochelle Children's Center for Learning Head Start; 20 of them were referred.

October 1: We screened the vision of 115 children at Yonkers Children's Place and referred 36 of them.

September 2018

September 30: Lions Jimmy S. Chu and Portia Fagel went for free flu shots sponsored by the NY Bangladeshi-American Lions Club. Upwards of 200 people received shots (none more scared than Lion Jimmy!).

September 29: Lion Sara Fernandez proved to be a very good sales person during our very successful garage sale at Lions Jun and Annie Mallari's. The fundraiser was for our medical mission to Pedernales, Dominican Republic in March 2019.

Lion Sara Fernandez, Lion Norma Sanchez, Lion Roque Lopez, DG Gustavo Sanchez, Lion Silvia Estebanez

September 27: We did retail reclaim of baked goods at Feeding Westchester. The donated baked goods were repacked into smaller boxes for shipment to food pantries and agencies in Westchester County.

September 24, 25, 26: We screened the vision of 340 and referred 112 children in four different day care centers- St. Peter's in Yonkers, Port Chester Head Start Therapeutic Nursery and Day Care, Port Chester Children's Place and ABC Graham School at Echo Park - this week.

September 23: We raised $300.00 for Feeding Westchester during their 2nd Annual Miles for Meals 5K Walk & Run for Hunger Relief during Hunger Action Month.

Lion Portia Fagel about to cross the 5K finish line.

September 21: We manned the asthma information table at the Lions 1st Health Fair at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx. The fair is Immediate Past District Governor Norma Mendez-Cruz' Legacy Project.

Lions Jimmy S. Chu, Portia Fagel and Lorelei Belardo

September 18, 19, 20: 144 children at Mount Vernon Toddler's Park, Mount Vernon Day Care Center and Mount Vernon Head Start were screened. 25 of them were referred.

September 17: Lions Silvia Estebanez, Joanne Toglia- O'Hanlon and Laura O'Hanlon screened the vision of 184 children at the Westcop Port Chester Head Start Therapeutic - Port Chester NY Day Care Center. 85 of the children were referred.

September 14: Dr. Joanne Balderas of the Baguio Everlasting Lions Club operated on Geralda, a 60-year old woman, who had to stop working in 2017 due to severe blurring of vision from bilateral hypermature cataracts. She did the surgery free of charge but we paid for all incidental expenses including pre-op biometry for measurement of implants, medications and materials including intraocular lenses and post-operative care.

Dr. Balderas and Geralda, 2nd and 3rd from left.

September 13 and 14: We screened the vision of children at two day care centers in the Bronx - 20 at the Mid-Bronx CCRP Head Start and 37 at Seabury Day Care Center.

September 12: We were able to double our impact thanks to Kiva's Flash Match. Our loan to Sra. Ignacia was matched by Bank of America. Sra. Ignacia of El Alto, Bolivia is a member of Corazon De Oro Group. She will use her share of the loan to buy seeds from wholesalers in El Alto-La Paz so that she can grow quinoa.

In this group: Uganda Olga, Celia, Marleny, Claudia, Mario, Edwin Tito, Zulma Laura, Ignacia

September 10: We volunteered at Feeding Westchester and prepared 300 bags of potatoes, carrots, apples and oranges for senior citizens in Westchester County.

September 8: Delivered donated eyeglasses to the New Jersey Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center, picked up about 3000 pairs of eyeglasses for our medical mission to the Dominican Republic in March 2019, and volunteered at the center sorting donated eyeglasses.

September 4: 14 members attended the first District Meeting.

From the left, standing, are Lions Sara Fernandez, Jimmy S. Chu, Jocelyn Archimedes, Joanne Toglia-O'Hanlon. Seated, from left, Lions Pearl Winthal, Emma Dumalag, Bless Punzalan, Ivan Lopez, Teresita Angos, Kishore Gangangari, Portia Fagel, Joan Torres, Lorelei Belardo. Lion Karem Coca, who also attended the meeting, is not in the picture,

August 2018

August 25: We had a successful tag sale and raised funds for our medical mission to Pedernales, Dominican Republic in March.

August 2: While visiting his hometown, Pedernales in the Dominican Republic, Lion Father Felino Reyes threw a block party and fed 80 children and 11 adults.

August 11: Lions Jocelyn Archimedes and Jimmy S. Chu attended today's Visions VCB Family Lions Day.

August 10: We volunteered at Feeding Westchester's "Senior Produce" and prepared 545 bags into which we put cantaloupe, corn, potatoes, cucumbers, oranges.

August 8: In today's "Retail Reclaim" at Feeding Westchester, we sorted and repacked donated food items.

August 7: Lion Laura O'Hanlon is the latest member to be a certified vision screener.

August 4: We donated $1000 to the Lions Club of Kuala Lumpur City Cancer Fund.

August 1: Raymond Opticians in Yonkers donated 50 used eyeglasses for recycling.

July 2018

July 29: The officers of Lion year 2018- 2019, led by President Lion Silvia Estebanez, were installed by PDG Peter H. Pergolis. We raised money for the Lions Club of Kuala Lumpur City Cancer Fund which was set up for Jayden, a 26-month old child with nuroblastoma.

July 29: We made a Kiva microloan to an entrepreneur in Fiji. Dominiko will use her loan to buy more materials to make kava.

July 25: Lion Joanne Toglia- O'Hanlon received her KidSight USA Foundation vision screener certification. She is 5th certified screener from our club.

July 23: We attended the new officers training, round two, at Isabella Geriatric Center. Again, Lion Portia was the trainer for the club secretaries.

July 22: We attended the Lions District 20-R2 Foundation Family Picnic at Tibbetts Brook Park in Yonkers. The picnic, the first for the Foundation, was also a welcome for the new District Governor Gustavo Sanchez.

Lions Jimmy S. Chu, Rene Punzalan, Portia Fagel, Joan Torres and Bless Punzalan were among those who shared a day of sunshine, fun, food and camaraderie with other Lions from District 20-R2.

July 13: We volunteered at Feeding Westchester today. Along with volunteers from UJA Federation - NY, we packed about 600 fresh produce bags. In each bag were 6 different vegetables, either chopped salad, cauliflower, spinach, collard greens, Romaine lettuce, eggplant, cilantro, garlic, arugula or zucchini.

Our Lion year 2017 - 2018:

145 service activities, 1274 Lions hours

June 2018

June 26: We made two Kiva microloans - to Mbene from Senegal and Mơ from Vietnam.

June 25: Volunteered at Feeding Westchester sorting and repacking donated food items.

Before the sorting Sorted, boxed, and labeled

June 21: We attended the New Officers Training at Isabella Geriatric Center.

June 14: Attended the dedication of The Lions Den Library at the James J. Peters VA Hospital in the Bronx. The project is Immediate Past District Peter H. Pergolis' Legacy Project. Lion Portia Fagel, IPDG Peter's Cabinet Secretary is a member of his Legacy Project Committee.

IPDG Peter Pergolis with PDG Mike Bhuiyan and PDG Maria Sierra at the unveiling of the plaque. PDG Maria Sierra is the District Centennial Celebraation Project Coordinator for District 20-R2.

June 13: Volunteered at Feeding Westchester and sorted and repacked breads and cakes of all kinds.

June 12: We attended the 4th District meeting at Oriental Plaza in Staten Island. The meeting is the last one for this Lion year for District Governor Norma Mendez- Cruz.

June 8: Volunteered at Feeding Westchester. We filled 71 back packs with a box of cereal, 2 cans of green beans, 1 can of peaches and a can of tuna. Then we filled 30 boxes of lasagna bits in preparation for this afternoon's "Scoop-a-thon".

June 2: We cleaned our cabin Sylvester #5 to get it ready for summer campers.

May 2018

The medical mission team of Millennium Lions Teresita Angos, Silvia Estebanez, Sara Fernandez, Laura O'Hanlon, Ophelia Pajel, Bless Punzalan, Rene Punzalan, Joanne Toglia-O'Hanlon and PDG Fred Rieger and PDG Lorri Rieger are in Sagada, Mt. Province, Philippines,

May 16: They performed vision screenings on 123 children at Quezon Elementary School and Engineers' Hill Health Center. 40 children were referred to Dr. Liza Locaben. She will perform comprehensive eye exams free of charge and we will pay for the lenses and we donated frames.

Lions Silvia Estebanez, Rene Punzalan, Dr. Liza Locaben, Bless Punzalan Ophelia Pajel and the QES health officer.

May 12: In Sagada, the team screened about 200 people and distributed dental care kits to childrren and donated eyeglasses.

PDG Fred Rieger, Lion Silvia Estebanez, PDG Lorri Rieger and Lion Sonia Daoas of the Baguio Kindasan Lions Club.

May 10: They stopped in Baguio to visit our Legacy Project, a garden and waiting shed at the intersection of Leonard Wood Road and Upper General Luna Road. They met with the Baguio Magnolia Lions Club and donated 200 pairs of eyeglasses.

___________________

May 21: On this "Back Pack" Monday, we filled 250 "back packs" with 1 can peaches, 2 cans green beans, 2 cans tuna, 1 bag cheesy rice with vegetables and 1 maple sugar chewy bar.

May 18: We attended the 30th LCIF Convocation at Riccardo's by the Bridge. This year's Melvin Jones and Melvin Jones Fellows were presented their plaques and pins by Past International President Al Brandel and Lion Dr. Maureen Murphy. Among this year's honorees are Mevin Jones Fellows Lions Celette Colago, Maggie Legaspi and Progressive Melvin Jones Fellow Lion Jocelyn Archimedes.

Partner in Service Lion Dr. Maureen Murphy, Lion Celette Colago, Past International President Al Brandel, District Governor Norma Mendez- Cruz, Lions Kishore Gangngari, Jimmy S. Chu and Jocelyn Archimedes.

May 14: Voluntered at Feeding Westchester sorting and repacking cleaning materials and health and beauty aids.

May 7: Volunteered at Feeding Westchester (formerly Food Bank for Westchester). Prepared 250 "backpacks" of cereal, tuna, peaches, green beans and macaroni and cheese.

April 2018

April 25: We made Kiva microloans to Jenny and Mahoule.

Jenny is from the Solomon Islands where she has a garden and grows cabbages and fruits. She used the loan to help pay for her gardening tools.

Mahoule from Baguida, Togo, is a retailer of sewing supplies.She will use the loan to order lengths of 'pagnes' (the colorful cloth of western Africa), rolls of lining material, and boxes of thread.

April 21: Great Saw Mill River Clean-up: Hearst Street - We were part of a group of volunteers that joined cleanup crews bagging tons of trash from the river and the street and clearing invasive vines.

Groundwork Hudson Valley thanked us for our participation and we responded by saying that we will field a bigger group next year.

April 17: Picked up 37 eyeglasses from 2 Raymond Opticians locations in Yonkers.

April 8: Celebrated the 21st anniversary of our Charter Night with a successful fundraiser.

The presidents, past and present: from left, President Teresita Angos, IPP Portia Fagel, PP Silvia Estebanez, Emma Dumalag, Bless Punzalan, Rene Punzalan, Charter President Jun Aquino

We inducted 4 new members.

DG Norma Mendez Cruz installed four new members: Laura O'Hanlon, Joanne O'Hanlon, Driphon Simms and Shirley Simms

Awarded the Robert J.Uplinger Distinguished Service Award

Lion Kishore Gangangari is this Lion year's Robert J. Up;linger Distinguished Service Awardee

Amelia Coca played the violin to entertain us, the Rockland Bonding Group performed a dance number.

April 2: Our latest certified vision screener is Lion Emma Dumalag who got her certiicate on April 2.

March 2018

March 19: We spent three hours sorting donated eyeglasses at the New Jersey Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center. We also picked up 1190 eyeglasses to bring to the Philippines in May.

Lions Silvia Estebanez and Etchie Angos with NJLERC President Alan Brewer.

Lion Portia Fagel sorting eyeglasses.

March 10: We attended the 2nd GMT/ GLT Symposium at M.S 328 Community Science and Math Prep School in NYC.

March 9: Lion Silvia Estebanez received her Lions KidSight Foundation Certified Screener Certificate.

March 9: We screened the eyes of 35 children at St. Dominic's Therapeutic Preschool (TORCH) in the Bronx. 12 of the children were referred.

Lion Cathy Aquino does her first vision screenings using Spot.

March 4: LCIF Co-chair Lion Portia Fagel gave a presentation on LCIF Measles Initiative "One Shot, One Life" at our monthly membership meeting. We responed by donating $335 to LCIF Measles Initiative.

February 2018

February 26: We volunteered at the Food Bank for Westchester where we helped repack 5000 lbs. of donated food items.

Lion Emma Dumalag

February 19: We donated 2 glucometers, testing strips, lancets, alcohol preps and gauze squares to the Engineers' Hill Health Center in Baguio.

February 18: We donated a blood pressure monitor to Quezon Elementary School in Baguio City, Philippines. We also gave them $20 to plant flowers around the school grounds.

February 15: Lion Aurora Santoro represented YMLC at NY Borinquen Lions Club's Annual Salute to our Veterans at the James J, Peters VA Hospital in the Bronx. The veterans in the nursing home received presents from the Lions.

Lion Aurora Santoro (R) with members of the NY Borinquen Lions Club.

February 13: We made a Kiva loan to Vivian Akwi. She is married and blessed with five children, with whom she lives in a six bedroom apartment in Mbengwi, North-West Region of Cameroon. With the new loan requested she plans to buy more piglets, feed and seeds for her farm.

February 4: District Governor Norma Mendez-Cruz visited. She gave out service chevrons to Lions Etchie Angos, Rene Punzalan, Bless Punzalan, Annie Mallari.

February 2: We volunteered at the Food Bank for Westchester and we checked donated food items for viability.

Lion Silvia Estebanez

January 2018

Lions Portia Fagel and Kishore K. Gangangari are the first in District 20-R2 to be certified Lions KidSight USA Foundation vision screeners.

January 29: We did "retail reclaim" at the Food Bank for Westchester.

January 27: The activity was a first for the district. We organized a vision screening in Chinatown in cooperation with NY Cosmopolitan Lions Club, NY Japanese-American Lions Club, Tuckahoe-Eastchester Lions Club and supported by the Chinatown Partnership Local Development Corporation (CPLDC), the Chinatown BID and OCA- New York Chapter. Lion Portia Fagel, District Chair of the Lions SEE Committee held a brief training session on the use of both the plusoptiX and the Welch Allyn Spot screeners.

Vision screening training by Lion Portia Fagel

January 26: We made a Kiva loan to Tatiana of Ungheni, Moldova. Tatiana is a 28-year-old trader from Elizavetovca village, is married and has two sons, 3 and 6 years old. Her husband works as a builder in Chisinau town.

January 25: We screened the vision of 7children at the Mid-Bronx CCRP Headstart. Two of them were referred.

January 23: Raymond Opticians on Tuckahoe Rd., donated 74 eyeglasses. Dr. John Alessandro donated180. Both are located in Yonkers.

January 22: Breads, cakes, pies, bagels, muffins - these were some of the food items in today's retail reclaim. We sorted and repacked them at the Food Bank for Westchester.

January 20: We attended the Lions SEE/ KidSight USA Training conducted by Past International Director Dr. Ed Cordes and Lion Dr. James Reynolds in Little Neck, NY. Presentations were made by KidSight USA corporate partners plusoptiX and Welch Allyn representatives.

Dr. Cordes is a retired optometrist currently the Chairman of Lions KidSight USA Foundation. Dr. James D. Reynolds is Professor and Chair at The Ross Eye Institute. He specializes in pediatric ophthalmology, adult strabismus, pediatric retina, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

From left, 2nd Vice District Governor Medadie Sy, Past District Governor Amado Sy, Lions Portia Fagel and Silvia Estebanez. Behind them is "thumbs up" Past International President Al Brandel.

January 19: At the Food Bank For Westchester, we checked expiration dates of food items collected at a food drive by a school in Scarsdale. The canned goods were then grouped according to food type and repacked.

January 16: Today is "Retail Reclaim" at the Food Bank for Westchester. We checked food items donated by Acme and Shop Rite for expiration dates and dents. The items were then repacked.

January 9: It was "Senior Bags" at the Food Bank for Westhester today. Each bag prepared contained 6 apples, 1 watermelon, 4 potatoes, 3 cucumbers and 1 persimmon.

January 7: We donated $1000 to Lions Club International Foundation.

January 3: Today at the Food Bank for Westchester we checked cases of tangerines to get rid of the rotten ones; then we checked mixed goods for expiry dates, dents and viability.

December 2017

December 28: Today's "Retail Reclaim" at the Food Bank for Westchester was checking items donated by a local grocery chain for expiry dates, dents and over all quality and acceptability. Those items that were deemed acceptable were tagged and repacked.

December 27: Kiva is matching all donations of $20 and more. We donated $20.

December 21: The Aeta Tribes Foundation distributed the 100 5-gallon water jugs we donated to indigenous famillies in Cabanatuan, Zambales, Philippines. The water jugs are used to collect water for drinking, cooking, bathing and growing food.

December 19: At today's "Green Thumb Monday", volunteers packed 400 bags of produce. Each bag contained 5 apples, 1 English cucumber and a bag of mandarin oranges.

December 13: We made a Kiva microloan to Margie in the Philippines.

December 12: Co-sponsored 4th Benefit for Children at the Lower East Side Preparatory High School. Each of the 400 children who attended recived a gift bag containing hats, gloves, socks, toys and other goodies. And they had their class pictures taken with Santa himself.

December 8: Dropped off two eyeglasses collection boxes at Raymond Opticians' locations on Lockwood Avenue and Tuckahoe Road, Yonkers.

December 5: Screened 116 children, 26 of whom had to be referred at the Mid-Bronx CCRP Day Care Center on E. Mt. Eden Blvd. We also screened 8 children, 2 referrals, at the Mid-Bronx CCRP Head Start on Grand Concourse, Bronx.

December 3: Held monthly meeting followed by our Christmas get together.

Immediate Past President Lion Portia Fagel presented Lions Jun and Annie Mallari the Centennial Commemorative Coin in recognition and gratitude of their service in the past Lion Year.

November 2017

November 29: Picked up used eyeglasses donation from Dr. John Alessandro of Yonkers.

November 28: Participated in #GivingTuesday on Facebook and raised over $2000 for the vision mission to the Philippines in April 2018.

November 28: Green Thumb Monday at the Food Bank for Westchester was held today, Tuesday. We packed fresh produce (sweet potatoes, oranges, pears and apples) and back packs (canned carrots, peaches, beef stew, macaroni and cheese, raisins and energy bars).

November 17: Diabetes Awareness: Diabetes Worldwide Week of Service: November 13 – 19, 2017

Diabetes is the 6^th leading cause of death in the world. It afflicts individuals, families and communities including those we know and love. The statistics are startling, but we can change them through efforts geared toward awareness, prevention, and treatment.

Awareness was the theme of a joint presentation by Millennium Lions Sara Fernandez, Jocelyn Archimedes and Teresita Angos and District Diabetes Awareness and Action Chair Lion Stephen Ippolito.

Here are some of highlights of their presentations:

The types of diabetes are:
Pregnant women who have never had diabetes before but who have high blood glucose (sugar) levels during pregnancy are said to have gestational diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, and was previously known as juvenile diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, the body does not use insulin properly. This is called insulin resistance. At first, the pancreas makes extra insulin to make up for it. But, over time the pancreas isn’t able to keep up and can’t make enough insulin to keep the blood glucose levels normal. Type 2 is treated with lifestyle changes, oral medications (pills), and insulin.

Some groups have a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes than others. Among Hispanic adults, the age adjusted rate of diagnosed diabetes was 8.5% for Central Americans, 9.0% for Cubans, 13.8% for Mexican Americans and 12.0% for Puerto Ricans.

Among Asian Americans adults, the age adjusted rate of diagnosed diabetes was 4.3% for Chinese, 8.9% for Filipinos, 11.2% for Asian Indians, and 8.5% for other Asians.

Type 3 diabetes is a title that has been proposed for Alzheimer's disease which results from resistance to insulin in the brain.

Corticosteroids are used to reduce harmful inflammation but can lead to diabetes, often referred to as steroid diabetes.

People on steroids who are already at a higher risk of type 2 diabetes or those who need to take steroids for longer periods of time are the most susceptible to developing steroid induced diabetes.

Lion Ippolito spoke of his own experience with Brittle diabetes, a sub-type of type 1 diabetes. Brittle diabetes mellitus (or labile diabetes) is a term used to describe particularly hard to control type 1 diabetes. Those people who have brittle diabetes will experience frequent, extreme swings in blood glucose levels, causing hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia.

He also spoke of his initiatives as Diabetes Awareness Chair for the District and what we can do to help.

Other topics covered included symptoms and warning signs or diabetes as was eating healthy. Lion Etchie Angos talked about the healthy plate: non-starchy vegetables should take up at least half of the plate, starches and starchy vegetables such as peas, potatoes, and corn take up one quarter of the plate, and meat/ protein should take up one quarter.

Despite that presentation, here is what we had for dinner.

We had healthy dessert, though – fresh watermelon and cantaloupe.

November 12: We attended the District Convention (Fall Conference). We received patches for our banner - the Legacy Project and a four-diamond Centennial Service Challenge.

DG Norma Mendez Cruz (rught) with the presidents of the clubs who completed service projects in the four service challenges for the environment, hunger, vision and youth. From the left, are NY Barahona LC President Lion Gabriela Remigio, NY Taino LC Miriam Gutloff, Lion Portia Fagel, Larchmont LC Phil Oldham, NY Eagle LC Amanda Cintron and NY Borinquen LC Antonia Castro.

November 11: Kimberly had strabismus surgery. We met her at Villa Algodon, Dominican Republic and decided to pay for her surgery.

November 15: We screened 44 and referred 12 children at Mt. Vernon CAG Day Care Center.

Noveber 14: We screened 85 and referred 27 children at the Mid-Bronx CCRP Early Childhood Center.

November 13: We made a Kiva microloan to Saulele from Fagafau, Samoa. Saulele is a 51-year-old married woman with 7 children. She needs a loan to buy taro roots (seedlings), banana tube (seedlings), chemicals, a backpack sprayer, and a chainsaw for the business.

November 8: 53 children were screened, 11 referred at Queen's Daughters Day Care Center in Yonkers.

October 2017

October 21: We had a successful garage sale today. The funds raised are for our medical mission to the Philippines in April 2018. The unsold coats were donated to New York Cares Coat Drive, the rest of the unsold clothes and small household appliances were donated to the Vietnam Veterans of America.

October 21: We sponsored the feeding of 100 children in Santa Maria, Bulacan, Philippines.

October 18: We screened the vision of 70 children at the Kingsbridge Heights Community Center on W231st Street and referred 17.

October 16: At the Islamic Cultural Center School on 97th Street, NYC and screened 80 children.

October 14: Our cabin at VISIONS Center on Blindness is now ready for the winter thanks to Lion Karem Coca and family - husband Adiel, daughter Amelia- and Lion Portia Fagel.

October 13: Lions Portia Fagel and Aurora Santoro assisted NY Cosmopolitan Lion Salome James at the Chung Pak Day Care Center vision screening.

October 12: At the Children's Center for Learning in New Rochelle, we screened 83 children and referred 14 to eye care professionals.

October 11: 52 of the 171 children screened at Port Chester Day Care and Therapeutic Nursery needed referrals.

October 10: 113 children had their vision screened today when we visited Yonkers Children's Place Day Care Center. Of them, 39 were referred.

October 9: We volunteered at the Food Bank for Westchester; prepared 87 bags of onions, apples and peppers.

October 8: Welcomed two new members, husband and wife Driphon and Shirley Simms.

October 2 - 6: Jaquemeyi, Villa Algodon, Cienega vision mission in Barahona, Dominican Republic (Read about the mission in "Missions Accomplished".)

October 1: We attended the 2nd Anniversary Luncheon Gala of the Lions District 20-R2 Foundation at Yale Club of New York City. Dr. Walton A. Webson was the keynote speaker. Dr. Webson is the Permanent Representative to the United Nasions of Antigua and Barbuda since 2014. As a visually impaired individual, Dr. Webson has worked extensively in Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa, helping to shape educational services for children with disabilities.

The DJ during the party. Mr. Braulio Thorne, is also visually impaired.

We awarded Lion Portia Fagel, our Immediate Past President and Lion of the Year, 2016- 2017 the Foundation's Earle W. Hodges Distinguished Leadership Award.

September 2017

September 28: We went back to The Graham School at Echo Park to screen the vision of the children who were absent during an earlier visit. There were 23 of them.

September 27: At Site 1 of the South Bronx Day Care Center, we screened the vision of 49 children.

September 26: While Lions Portia Fagel and Bill Papp of the North Salem Lions Club were screening 42 children at Toddler's Park Day Care Center in Mount Vernon, Lions Silvia Estebanez and Roque Lopez were doing the same at South Bronx Day Care Center, Site 2. There they screened 40 children.

September 23: We had a successful garage sale.

September 21: Lions Bill Papp and Sal from North Salem Lions Club were with us today at the Mount Vernon Day Care Center where we screened 39 children. We then went to St. Peter's Day Care Center in Yonkers to do the children who were absent on Tuesday. We screened 10 there.

September 19: We sorted and packed donations for the survivors of Hurricane Harvey at the Afya Foundation warehouse. Other Lions from District 20-R2 were there including IPDG Peter H. Pergolis and Lion Joanne Pergolis, Lion Miriam Gutloff from the NY Taino Lions Club and her friend Maria and from Yonkers Millennium were Lions Silvia Estebanez, Portia Fagel, Fr. Felino Reyes and Aurora Santoro.

Lion Silvia Estebanez Lions Aurora Santoro and

Father Felino Reyes

September 18: Region Chair Silvia Estebanez, Zone Chair Etchie Angos, and Club Membership Chair Jocelyn Archimedes attended the 1st District Meeting at The Pines in the Bronx.

September 18: Today at ABC Graham School at Echo Park we screened 100 children, 30 of whom were referred.

September 16: We were invited by the NY Cosmopolitan Lions Club to do vision screenings at the Mid Autumn Festival in Chinatown. We did 15.

September 15: We screened the eyes of 99 children at ABC Cassidy's Place on 86th Street, NYC.

September 15: A personal thank you from Allison Marston of the Ferncliff Manor: "Daka’s glasses arrived yesterday and I am beyond thrilled. I wanted to send you & the Lions Club a thank you directly from me; your help and patience is warmly appreciated. I’m attaching a quick cell phone pic of Daka and Mary (his occupational therapist) so you can see how great he looks (*grin* and sees – his visual acuity is definitely improved)!"

September 14: Daka received his new Miraflex eyeglasses today. They were delivered to his school at Ferncliff Manor by Lion Dr. Bryan Wolynski.

September 14: We delivered 300 pairs of eyeglasses to New Eyes for the Needy, Short Hills, NJ. In addition to our 20, the eyeglasses are from North Salem Lions Club (250), NY Eagle Lions Club (30). We also picked up 1000 readers, 75 childrens' eyeglasses and 200 frames for our vision mission to Barahona, Dominican Republic October 1.

Lion Roque Lopez

September 13: With Lion Bill Papp of the North Salem Lions Club, we screened the eyes of 26 children at South Bronx Day Care Center on Featherbed Lane, Bronx.

September 12: We screened the vision of 44 children at the Seabury Day Care Center in the Bronx.

September 11: We volunteered at the Food Bank for Westchester.

On September 1, the Food Bank for Westchester joined with its partner agencies, government officials, supporters and staff to announce its Go Orange to End Hunger campaign, a major component of the Food Bank’s month-long calendar of activities designed to encourage people to take action against hunger during the month of September, Hunger Action Month. In its second year, this campaign is a month-long movement designed by the Food Bank to focus awareness on the subject of hunger in Westchester County.

September 9: We raised $260 at our garage sale.

September 5: Apples, pears and apples were the fresh produce at today's "Green Thumb Monday".

August, 2017

August 28: We volunteered at the Food Bank for Westchester . We measured pounds of elbow macaroni from big totes to smaller two pound bags.

August 27: We collected 11 pairs of eyeglasses.

August 24: We sorted and packed donated cleaning materials, health and beauty products at the Food Bank for Westchester on this "Retail Reclaim" day. The food bank receives donations of all kinds. Not just food.

August 23: We volunteered at the New Jersey Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center (NJLERC) to sort donated eyeglasses. We also picked up over a thousand glasses for our vision mission to the Dominican Republic

August 22: We screened the eyes of 19 children at the Care for the Homeless Jackson Clinic, 138 Street, Bronx. 8 of them were referred.

August 21: We were with Daka at Glasses on First for his Miraflex glasses fitting. Thank you Glasses on First for the discount. His eyeglasses will be ready in two weeks.

Daka is a young student at the Ferncliff Manor. a residential school for children with developmental disabilities. We received a request from one of the occupational therapists at the school for sports goggles for Daka who has broken three pairs of eyeglasses within the past few months and his insurance is refusing to pay for another pair and his family, we were told, cannot afford to get him another pair.

August 21: We sponsored the feeding of seniors at Bahay Kalinga, Santa Maria, Bulacan, Philippines.

August 19: We did vision screening on 40 children at the Wilson Houses NYC. 15 of them were referred to eye care professionals.

August 15: We screened the eyes or 15 children at Care for the Homeless Briarwood Clinic. Of the 15, 4 were referred to SUNY College of Optometry..

August 14: We fed 970 children at Quezon Elementary School, Baguio City, Philippines. We will feed and monitor 30 underweight and malnourished children for 60 days.

August 12: We raised enough money for our feeding project in Santa Maria, Bulacan, Philippines during our garage sale at Lions Jun and Annie Mallari's driveway.

Waiting for customers ............. Lunch ............

August 6: Lions Kishore Gangangari and Rene Punzalan attended the Lions August Family Day and the grand opening of the Vocational Rehabilitation Center at VISIONS Center on Blindness. They also picked up eyeglasses donations from Lion Bill Gumbel of The Bronx Lions Club and PDG Mabel Twohie of District 20-R1.

August 3: We donated to the Aeta Foundation in support of their safe water project and water buffalo for Aeta women project.

July, 2017

Lions Portia Fagel and Ophelia Pajel attended the 100th Lions Clubs International Convention (LCICON) in Chicago on June 30 - July 4. They witnessed the installation of International President Naresh Aggarwal.

July 30: Immediate Past District Governor Peter H. Pergolis installed the officers for Lion year 2017- 2018 led by President Teresita "Etchie" Angos.

President Lion Etchie Angos and Vice Presidents Lions Silvia Estebanez and Karem Coca

Secretary Lion Jimmy S. Chu and Treasurer Lion Bless Punzalan

Members of the Board Lions Sara Fernandez Lopez and Rene Punzalan; Membership Committee Chair Lion Jocelyn Archimedes, members Lions Aurora Santoro and Maggie Legaspi

Tail Twister Lion Kishore Gangangari

We made a Kiva microloan to Lisa of itbid, Jordan tp help her pay her son's university tuition fees for a Bachelor's degree in Accounting.

We volunteered on Green Thumb Monday and Thursday Repack at the Food Bank for Westchester.